Marriage, Millionaires, and Motorcycles OLD
by MyFavoriteDaydream
Summary: UNFINISHED This fanfic will no longer be updated.
1. Ready, Set, Go!

InvincibleInuYasha: Okay, I was reading a MARS fic today, and I felt like writing one myself. I love that series so much, so yeah, gotta write a fic. As an added note, I am not a motocross expert. So, if I get something wrong and you know it's right, let me know and I'll fix it. Thanks! Hope you all like it! Read and review!

Disclaimer: No, MARS doesn't belong to me. Too bad.

_**Marriage, Millionaires, and Motorcycles**_

**Chapter One: Ready, Set, Go!**

The sun was peeking through the curtains, a stripe of light sitting over Rei's closed eyes. He grunted and scrunched his eyes tightly. After a moment of frustration, he tried to raise his arm to shield his face, but something was holding it down. He groaned sleepily and flickered his eyes open to see a head of reddish blonde hair on top of his arm. He smiled buried his face in the girl's hair, trying to go back to sleep.

But then a loud buzzing noise filled the small room, and the girl's head shot up, smacking Rei's nose. "Agh! Kira, ow! That hurt!" Kira slammed her hand on the small alarm clock that blinked 7:30 and then turned to face Rei, "I'm sorry! Oh, let me see." Rei kept his hand over his nose, "Bow." "What?" "Bow, by dose wis bweeden." Kira leapt out of bed and grabbed a tissue from the night table and shoved it in Rei's face, "Here, honey. Pinch the bridge of your nose and hold your head up." Rei did as he was told and said, "You dow how late I'm godda be? I godda be ada track in an hour. Da race is today." Kira said, "Okay, okay. I'll start breakfast then, and you just get ready. Hurry up."

Kira rushed out of the room as Rei got out of bed, his head facing the ceiling. This happened a bit too often, this morning routine. The sun in his face, Kira's hair, the alarm clock, and a nosebleed. But even through the pain and blood loss, it was kind of funny. He loved the way Kira would panic when she realized she had crushed his nose. Then he realized that blood was sliding down his arm, "Oops." He went into the bathroom to clean up and get ready and Kira smiled. He was often late for everything. So without him knowing, she had set his clock and watch ahead fifteen minutes. She was glad to see that he hadn't noticed yet. Though she new he would sooner or later.

Since Rei had a race today, she was preparing his favorite good luck breakfast. She took some red weenies and set them to boil. Then she had toasted some bread and made an omelette. She turned off the stove and began to cut the weenies into little octopuses and crabs. When she had finished, Rei was still not ready, so she cut an apple into four parts and peeled them into little rabbits. She was on the last one when Rei walked in, his hair still dripping from his shower, and his eyes glowing, "Oooh! Yes! My favorite!" He gave Kira a quick kiss before taking a seat and wolfing down the eggs, toast and weenies. Kira smiled and sat across from him eating her meal not quite as fast. Rei slowed down as well and said, "Mmm, delicious, babe. You're the greatest." Kira smiled, "Anything for you." They finished their meal and Rei grabbed the keys to the Ducati Monster, "Let's go."

They were at the track in fifteen minutes. The Suzuka Curcuit was huge. Thousands of motocross fans cheered from the stands, unable to contain themselves. There were already a few racers pacing near the stands, or watching as their bikes were checked one more time. Rei smiled, "I love this place." Kira grabbed his hand as they pushed through people to get inside. Rei tried to keep his head down and face hidden. He was already late as it was and he didn't want any delays. Despite his efforts, a small group of girls squealed with delight, "Kashino! It's Rei Kashino!" Heads turned all around them and suddenly Kira found herself ten feet away from Rei, a ring of people separating them. She could here people calling out, "Can I have your autograph?", "Can you take a picture with me?", "Can I take you home?" But Rei looked around the circle and smiled when he caught sight of Kira. He nudged his way through the people, but the circle followed until Kira was next to Rei, his hand grasping hers tightly, not wanting to lose her again, "Sorry, babe."

Flashes flew from the numerous cameras around them but Rei ignored them like it was just Tuesday to him. Kira still hadn't gotten used to it though. Rei marched through the crowd, stopping a few times to grin at a camera or two, and then continued until they reached the racers' pit. Rei showed his racer's ID and the security let his pass into the pit. A few more flashes went off behind them.

"Ever the superstar, aren't you Rei?" Akitaka smirked at Rei and gave him a pat on the back. And then he suddenly grabbed a fistful of his hair, "But you're late!" A woman ran up to them and grabbed Akitaka from behind, "Now, Akitaka, don't worry. He's still got twenty minutes before he has to be out there. Calm down." Akitaka let go of a teary Rei and said, "Go get your gear on. I trust Kira's already fed you well, so we don't need to worry about that." Rei muttered, "Asshole..." before stomping off to the changing rooms, much like an upset child.

Kira bit her lip nervously as she watched what happened, but she also knew how Akitaka grew anxious near the start of a race, so she let it go. The woman released Akitaka and wrapped her arms around his waist, "You always have to punish him, don't you?" Akitaka said, "Kyoko, he's late! You know how stressful it is at the start of a race! He must be tense! He should have been here earlier to get used to it but no! He just had to make us worry about whether he would show up." Kyoko smiled, "You know he always shows up and he's never nervous. I don't know why you still get so mad." Akitaka shook his head and said, "So, hey Kira. How's it going?" Kira shrugged, "Good, I guess." Kyoko asked, "How's art school? Are you having fun?" Kira smiled, "Yeah. They're giving me a lot of assignments, and I've been seeing an improvement in my art. The paintings I made two years ago, before I started, aren't as great as the ones I'm making now." Kyoko said, "That's great. Well, I've got to go change. I'm going to be racing again this year. I'm surprised Akitaka hasn't gotten angry with me for taking so long this time." Before Akitaka could open his mouth, Kyoko had disappeared.

Akitaka shook his head and smiled, "So, you watching from the pits? It's gonna be a long race." Kira said, "I don't know. Rumi and Tatsuya said they'd be here, so I might go up to the stands." Akitaka nodded, "Okay." Kira said, "Akitaka, do you think Rei and Kyoko will win this time?" Akitaka shrugged, "I'm not sure. I mean, they blew it the past two years. Last year Rei busted his arm and collarbone, and the year before Kyoko had only broken her finger. But even the littlest thing can pull them out. Rei's still as reckless as he ever was. Hopefully he won't make us worry like he did last time." Kira nodded. Rei was still too crrazy, and she worried about him during every race. Especially since the last 8-Endurance had him zooming to the hospital. Akitaka added, "Plus there's that other racer, Mitsuru Takuhai, number 13. He's made himself Rei's unofficial rival, I suppose. He's competed against Rei in a few lesser races, but he just couldn't keep up. He's finally qualified for the 8-hour, so he'll put up a good fight." Kira nodded, "Well, I just hope Rei wins this time. He's been telling me how much he wants to win this time."

"How do I look?" Rei winked at them through the helmet. He had his racing suit on, covered in numerous brand names. Kira loved him in his racing gear. He always looked so damn sexy! Rei came up to her and gave her a bear hug, "I'm gonna win this time, baby! I'm gonna bring home the grand prize!" Kira smiled and tried to breathe, but she was also excited. She couldn't come to the Suzuka race two years ago, and the one she went to last year had gotten her all revved up. At least, before Rei had veered off course with his uncontrollable speed. But this year Rei had promised to be a little more careful and tactful in his racing. He never wanted to see the horror in Kira's eyes ever again.

A man with a racing cap and sunglasses said, "You're up in fifteen minutes Kashino. Your bike's almost ready." Rei released Kira and said, "Thanks." He smiled at Kira, "I'm riding another worksmachine. It's supposed to be way faster and manageable than the last two bikes I've ridden. I'm bound to win this time, I can already taste that Grand Prize money! I'll get us out of that smelly flat we're in." Kira said, "I hope so. It's going to be demolished in six months." Rei said, "Oh yeah. Shit, I have to win now!" He jumped up and down, loosening his muscles, and grabbed his helmet from Akitaka. Then he pulled Kira in for a quick kiss, "Wish me luck!" And he ran off.

Kyoko came out from the dressing rooms and also ran as quickly as Rei, giving Kira a quick hug and kissing Akitaka before sprinting to the starting line. Akitaka shook his head, "It's the same every time..." Kira smiled and gave Akitaka a hug, " I hope they win this time. I'll be rooting for them in the stands with Rumi and Tatsuya." Akitaka said, "Okay. Have fun. And don't worry so much. No matter how tight a squeeze Rei is in, he always manages to wriggle out." Kira giggled and left, "Good luck, Team Katayama!"

She made her way out into the packed stands. People were so excited, and the racers hadn't even come out yet. Kira smiled as they hauled out the bike Rei would be using, an HRC worksmachine. It was a different model from the last two, and it would be the fastest bike Rei had ever ridden. He was really excited about it.

"Kira! Kira, over here!" Harumi was in shorts and a short T-shirt, standing on her chair, in the front row, with her arms waved up high above her head. Tatsuya was sitting beside her, looking up at her with a smirk. Harumi looked back down at Tatsuya and gave him a small slap, "You keep your eyes on the track!" Kira smiled and trudged through the crowds to take her seat.

Harumi had sat back down and handed Kira a box of popcorn, "Oh, Kira! I'm so excited! I'm so glad Rei's able to get us these great seats too. I mean, wow, we're only a few yards from the pavement!" Tatsuya grinned, "Yeah, and now Rei's gonna race with his best bike yet! This is goona be great!" Kira said, "We'll see. I mean, Rei's got some competition. All the racers here have trained for years to be a part of this. They're not about to give up. Especially Mitsuru Takuhai." Tatsuya asked, "Which one is he?" "Number 26. Anyway, all these racers have been winning minor competitions left and right to qualify for the Suzuka. We can only hope Rei will win."

Suddenly, a wave of screams swept through the stands. Kira, Harumi, and Tatsuya all turned their heads to the side of the racetrack. Fifty racers came out from the racers' entrance. And then from the speakers surrounding the audience boomed, "And now we will prepare for the start of the Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance! Today we have twenty-five competing teams! Boy, it will be some race! Now, let's get this started!" The announcer began shouting out names of the racers, their team, and their number. "And finally, Kyoko Katayama and Rei Kashino!" The crowd screamed, everyone shouting at the top of their lungs. "Members of Team Katayama, this pair of racers will be riding a Honda Worksmachine, numbered 96! It seems these are the crowd favorites today! But let's all give a big hand to the racers and wish them all luck!" The crowd screamed again, ready to watch the race. "Now, as far as prizes go, we have some grand ones this year! Third place will receive five hundred dollars, and a new Yamaha Midnight Warrior! Second place will win two thousand dollars, and a Honda Superhawk, and a trip to Daytona Raceway in Florida! And the Grand Prize is five thousand dollars, and a Ducati Superbike 749 Dark! My, what great prizes we have today on account of the many sponsors who have participated in this race. And now we'll get this race started!"

And then about half of the racers stood by their bikes at the starting line, their coaches and managers giving them last minute tips. One racer, a tall man in his mid-twenties, and short black hair, strayed from his own bike and went up to Rei, "Ah, Kashino." He narrowed his green eyes at him in malice, "I see your riding the HRC works this year. It's going to be quite a tough race." Rei stood his ground, "Hey, Takuhai. Yeah. I'll put up a good fight. I'm not going down so easily this time." Mitsuru smirked, "So you'll make it out alive again this time?" "Alive and kicking." Rei put his helmet on and buckled it under his chin. Mitsuru smirked and returned to his own bike. Rei didn't like Mitsuru. He always had this feeling in his gut that he was bad news. He had been rumoured to play rough, and ambush past rivals until there wasn't enough of them to race again. And to top off Rei's tension, Takuhai decided to make Rei his rival for the past few races. But the Suzuka was the biggest race they would compete in at their level. Only the winner would go on and win.

The racers clasped their helmets on and mounted their bikes, waiting for the announcer's call. The racer at bike 96 lifted his head. Kira smiled and cheered loudly, though Harumi and Tatsuya were clearly beating her. Rei lifted up the visor of his helmet and winked at them. Kira laughed. Even at the start of the race, the most stressful time for every racer, Rei was still able to glide along with a grin on his face. Rei lowered the visor again and waited. The announcer would tell them to start in a moment.

The two race queens went out to the middle of the track, followed by hoots and whistles from the men in the stands. They held flags in their hands and then they raised their hands. And then the speakers blared, "Racers! On your mark!" The riders lowered their bodies closer to their bikes, waiting for another five antagonizing seconds. "Get set!" The race queens lowered their arms straight out to their sides and the racers took their leg off the ground and the announcer shouted, "GOOOOOOO!" The race queens lowered their falgs swiftly and the racers were off. Tires screeched on the pavement as the racers tried to belt them out at their max speed.

Kira's heart began to pound heavily. Not only was it the excitement making her feel like this, but also worry. Last year, Rei had taken a bad fall from his bike. But even before that, Kira watched the racers fall, one by one, some getting up and going to the pit, not returning for the remainder of the race, and some not moving until paramedics pulled them back into the pit on a stretcher, blood pouring from their wounds. She didn't want anything like that to happen to Rei again. She always had that feeling tugging at her heart, letting her know that maybe this time he wouldn't make it. She shuddered at the thought of returning to the hospital, worrying and wondering whether her husband would survive the night.

Rei turned his eyes only to view his surroundings. Out of the twenty-four other competitors, he was about tenth right now. He smirked, '_I'm going to win this time. I_ have_ to. And none of these guys are gonna stop me._' He swerved around numbers 72, 84, and 57, passing them easily. But suddenly, there was a roar from the crowd. He glanced over his shoulder for a split second to see a crashing motorcycle flying at him. Rei jerked his bike to the inner rings of the track and watched as the bike bounced to the edge of the stands, '_A crash this early?_' It was extremely rare for a crash to occur within the first lap of the race. Rei's swerve had slowed him down. A few racers had passed him, including number 11. Rei leaned into his bike and maxed out the bike's speed. The adrenaline was kicking in and he was ready to fight.

Akitaka watched the crash from the pits, "That was close. But he's speeding up to early in the race." Kyoko said, "Don't worry too much. You know how he is. And this year he's determined to win. He would have won last year if the accident didn't happen." Akitaka cursed under his breath, "It's that Takuhai. He ruined it last year for Rei and I have a feeling he's going to try it again this time. Lucky Rei doesn't remember that part. He'd have tried to kill Takuhai." Kyoko said, "Don't bring it up now. Let's just enjoy the race. Don't get all upset now." Akitaka shook his head, "You're right. I've got you to worry about when Rei comes into the pit." Kyoko smiled and hugged Akitaka close to her, "I love you."

Rei was reaching a fast speed. He was passing racers left an right. He'd been riding for an hour already. He wasn't too tired, but he knew Kyoko would be waiting. If he raced too long, then it also increases her time on the track. So Rei pulled into the pit, hearing groans from the audience behind him.

He stopped the bike and pulled his helmet off, "Okay, Kyoko, she's all yours." The pit crew was quickly working on the bike, refilling the gas tank, rotating the tires, and checking the oil levels. Kyoko said, "You did great Rei. Pulled us all the way up to fifth. I'll try to keep up." Rei winked, "You'll do fine. They're a bunch of sissys this year, and I know a woman like you can, at the least, keep up with them." Kyko smiled, "Thanks Rei." She pulled her own helmet on and mounted the bike, stretching a little too far for comfort and gripping the handlebars. She revved the engine and sped off into the circuit.

Akitaka said, "You did good, Rei. But you're still crazy as always." Rei smirked, "Am I? Well, I can't help it. I get too caught up in the action to notice." Akitaka said, "Rei, be careful. You remember what happened last year." Rei nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I remember. I won't let it happen again." Akitaka said, "Good. Now go get your IV." Rei groaned, "Oh man! I hate those."

Kira smiled. Kyoko was out now. She was the only female competitor this year, but she was one of the highest ranked. She sped up, though she couldn't keep up the same speed that Rei had. It was hard enough to control the bike as it was, so gutting it out wasn't so smart. She had been on the track for twenty minutes when the bike went out of control on a turn. She had gone too fast and couldn't curve well without endangering herself. She slid to the side, almost crashing into the wall at the edge of the track. But she swoooped up at the last second, earning herself a "Whoop!" from the audience. She smiled underneath her helmet, her heart pounding and breathing heavy. Akitaka watched from inside, relieved. She had fallen much worse before, and she was lucky this time.

But because of her swerve, three racers sped into the inner rings of the track, causing a collision of two of them. The third sped ahead of Kyoko, putting team Katayama in sixth. Kyoko was able to get a last glance over her shoulder to see the two racers getting up, seemingly fine, before she sped up, keeping her focus once again on the race. That fall was almost too close. If she was just a little bit faster, she was sure that she would have flipped the bike and do some damage to herself. She sped on for another twenty minutes, trying to keep up and even moving her and Rei one spot up into fifth again. She was feeling the wear of her muscles from staying in her stretched position for too long, so she returned to the pits.

Rei was waiting. He already had his helmet on and was ready to hop back on the bike. He lifted the visor, "Okay, Kyoko, great. I'll get us into second, maybe first for now!" He winked and lowered his visor, mounting the bike and speeding back into the track.

Kira, Rumi, and Tatsuya cheered as Rei came back out of the pit. Kyoko had done well, but the main focus was Rei and his risky riding. Everyone loved it. Even Kira, though when she watched one of his crazy stunts or close crashes, her heart always skipped a beat in worry. They all stood for a few minutes, trying to keep track of who was in what place. Then Harumi and Kira sat back down. Harumi asked, "Kira, what exactly happened last year? I mean, when Rei got in that accident. It was kept quiet from everybody, so I'm not really sure." Kira folded her hands in her lap and stared at them, "It was sort of an ambush. Someone wanted Rei to lose, so..." Harumi said, "No! An ambush? Was the other racer disqualified, at least?" Kira nodded, "Yeah. But everyone kept it quiet. Rei doesn't even know for sure what happened. Akitaka asked me to keep quiet because we all know Rei would go crazy about it, and since there was no solid proof, it's not like we could really bring the guy to court." Harumi said, "Who was it? What did he do?" Kira said, "He swerved in front of Rei and slowed down the bike. Rei's natural reaction was to jerk out of the way, but he ended up crashing headfirst into another racer. The other racer was hit from the side, so he only came out with a broken leg. But Rei broke his shoulder and an arm. He was really close to hitting his neck. It was terrible." Harumi asked, "So, who was it?" "Number Thirteen."

Harumi's eyes widened as she double-checked the race program, "But, he's racing now?" Kira nodded, "Yeah, they could only disqualify him for last year's race. But we couldn't do anything to keep him from competing this year." She said, "Please, don't tell Rei who it was. I just know he'll end up getting upset and he'll try to get at Takuhai." Harumi sighed, "Okay. But that's just messed up. I hope he doesn't try anything this year, or _I'll_ be the one getting pissed off, since you obviously won't." Kira smiled.

The sun had set and the stadium light blared onto the track. The audience was now tense. Six teams had dropped from the ranking from various accidents. And now only a few racers even had a chance of winning. The top three were numbers 96, 13, and 11. Kyoko was almost done with her time, leaving Rei to complete the last half hour. She turned into the pit, completing her racing for the day, exhausted. Rei wasted no time in jumping on the bike quickly. Kyoko patted his back, "Good luck. It looks like we're finally going to win this time." Rei smiled. He knew Kyoko couldn't see it because he had his helmet on, but he was happy. This was his chance. He only had to pass the other two racers and stay ahead for the last few minutes. And he sped into the pit.

The crowd roared in excitement. This was the last switch of the race and they were sure to see some kind of spectacular feat from Rei. And Rei gave it to them. He sped to an incredible pace, just barely keeping control of the bike. He easily passed number 11. But now there was Mitsuru, number 13. He was almost a lap ahead. But there was still fifteen minutes left in the race. He could pass him in five. No problem. Rei smirked and revved up the engine, popped a wheelie. The crowd, once again, cheered with enthusiasm.

Kira could hardly watch. He was going dangerously fast. Much faster than he was at the practice rounds, and even faster than previous races. This bike really was much better than the last one he had used. The crowd was going wild and it was getting really loud. Rei could practically feel the adrenaline pumping through each and every blood vessel in his body. He was going faster than ever. This bike was amazing! Kira watched as Rei zoomed past, literally a blur.

Only a few minutes remained left in the race and Rei was nose to tail with 13. The announcer was shouting something into the microphone, but Rei didn't hear it. Right now, he could only hear the rumble of the engines of his and 13's bikes and his own heartbeat. This was insane. The speed was incredible and Rei was going to win, he knew it. He gave the bike another rev and he swerved past number 13. His heart beat even faster. He was currently in first. Whatever had deafened him before was gone and he could hear screams from the stands. This only fueled Rei's excitement as he kept the speed up to the max. He only had two more laps. Two more laps and he would be on his way to the winner's stand.

He went around one more lap, overlapping quite a few riders, 13 just a few yards behind him. It was growing a little quiet. This was the last lap. He had a few more minutes. He would make sure to keep 13 in his dust. But it wouldn't be easy. Now 13 had caught up, right on Rei's tail. And they were both striving to win the Grand Prize. And then it was just the long stretch of pavement. They could see the finish line. Rei smirked under his helmet and reved his engine again. 13 did the same. Rei thought, '_Yes! I'm going to do it this time! And I didn't get into an accident, this went by perfectly! Yes!_' Rei could see one of the staff holding the checkered flag, and the photographer on the other end fumbling with his camera to get the perfect shot.

By now, the crowd was screaming. A small portion was cheering for Mitsuru. But the vast majority was crying out Rei's name, desperate to see the end of the race and watch the crowning of the champion. Mitsuru had sped up a little more. They were now neck and neck. There bikes were so close to each other. Rei Leaned into his bike, his body attatched to it as if he was naturally fused with it. His speed increased, and he revved the engine for the last time, giving him a final jolt of speed, bringing him into full throttle, the extreme. He passed Mitsuru cleanly, and he zoomed over the finish line.

A huge roar burst from the spectators. People were jumping up and down, even hugging toher excited fans who they didn't even know. Rei, their favorite, had finally won the Suzuka for the first time! Rei kept speeding on, his velocity a little slower as he punched the air victoriously. He screamed in glee and triumph into his helmet. He won! This was the best day ever! He finally slowed down on his bike when he heard the crowd's screams changed from merriment to panic. He stopped the bike and turned around, seeing only for a split second the number 13 as it continued speeding towards him. His vision left quickly, but he managed to hear a cry of agony from a familiar but distant voice before going completely unconscious, "REI!"

InvincibleInuYasha: Okay, I think I did okay. I'm not sure if I made the prize much bigger than it should be. Never been to a motocross race, let alone a big one like Suzuka, so I wouldn't know what kinds of prizes they have. And I don't know how to convert money so I don't know how much money 5,000 dollars is in Yen. I did a little research on some racing companies and their bikes. Those bikes are all real, you can find pictures of them. They're really cool. Makes me want to get one! lol. But I can't even drive a car yet. Well, at least not legally. And I looked up the Suzuka Racetrack. 3.6 miles long! holy moose! And 16 turns, wowie. But I'm not including any of that, i"ll bore u, only those of u who read this will know then ha. lol. Oh yea, and Mitsuru Takuhai's name might be weird. I dunno, I made it up. I took Mitsuru from Mitsurugi from Soul Calibur cuz my friend is nuts about that game, and Takuhai from the name of that magazine that they keep showing in ads in the back of my manga. Yes, pretty random. lol. Oh, and you see how his number is 13? The so aclled unlucky number, hehee. If any of you have a phobia of the number, sorry, but I have to say, it's just a DAMN NUMBER! lol., neway, yea, not really too symbolic. Just letting u know something bad might happen very soon! And now my cat is stepping on the keyboard. htrfjnm 902y5ol. Thank you, Oscar, my lovely assiatant, for contributing to the fic! lol. Read and Review! Sorry, I like the waves.


	2. Not Again

InvincibleInuYasha: I hope all of you are enjoying the fic so far. I love Rei! He's so cool. But look what I've done! AGH! O well, just a lonely little writer's imagination going crazy, not like it'll happen in the actual story, lol. Anyway, better start writing, READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!

Disclaimer: No, MARS doesn't belong to me. Though I wish I could have a cool funny guy like Rei... :'( ...Someday, someday.

Chapter Two: Not Again

Kira ran from her seat, tears streaming from her eyes. Harumi called out to her and started to follow her, but Tatsuya grabbed her arm, "Let her go. They won't let you through anyway." Harumi stared after Kira in worry, and then back at the small and limp Rei on the racetrack, his bike resting on the left side of his body. Harumi bit her lip in worry as tears welled up in her eyes, "Why did he do that?" She started crying and Tatsuya embraced her comfortingly, "I don't know, I just don't know... Let's just hope that Rei will be alright this time."

The rest of the audience was still in shock and devastation. The rest of the racers even stopped their bikes when they came up to the finish line. Their race was over and they could see what had happened. The question was in everybody's head: Why?

Kira ran down to the pits. She flashed her I.D. and was allowed to enter. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, into the middle of the racetrack. The racers who had arrived left a very wide berth between themselves and the scene around them. Kira pushed past them and ran up to Rei. She dropped to her knees next to him. When he was hit, his body was flung through the air. He was on his back, his arms spread out to his sides, one of them in an unnatural position. His motorcycle had flown too and it was now on top of Rei's body. Kira saw a large crack in his helmet. She cried, "Rei! Rei, please, please be okay!" She slumped over and cried over him.

"Get out of the way! Let me see him!" Akitaka was shoving his way through the racers and staff that had built up around Rei, Kyoko following close behind him, still in her racing gear. Once they had reached the inside of the circle, they stopped. Kira was crying over Rei, his body limp as a rag doll, and blood creeping betwwen the cracks in the pavement. After a moment Akitaka said to one of the staff quietly, "Get the medical staff here, quick." Kyoko came closer to Kira and kneeled beside her, her hand on Kira's shoulder, "Come on, Kira. They're getting some help now, come on." Kira shook her head, her hair flinging about her face, tears sliding across her cheeks. Kyoko tried to hold in her tears, "Don't worry, they're going to take care of him." She sniffed and let her tears fall as well.

Paramedics made their way through the circle and ambulance sirens could be heard entering the track. Kyoko wiped her face and got up, "Come on, Kira. They're here now, you have to step away or they can't help him." Kira reluctantly got up, but she didn't move. Kyoko took her hand and Kira hugged her arm close, like an upset child. Kyoko hugged her and led her to the inside edge of the circle. Another pair of paramedics went over to treat Mitsuru, who was shakily getting up from his own bike. They watched as the paramedics examined Rei and removed the bike from him carefully. Blood gushed from his waist and Rei coughed violently under his helmet. Kira looked away and choked back a sob. The paramedics covered the wound with a special bandage wrap. Then they removed the helmet and strapped an oxygen mask to Rei's face. Then they lifted him onto a stretcher and pulled him into the waiting ambulance. One of the paramedics asked, "Is there any family or friend that is coming along?" Kira stepped foward and got into the amubulance as the paramedic shut the door. The sirens rang again as the two ambulances carried away the first and second place racers.

Kira held Rei's left hand tightly. His right hand was being put into a splint. Kira rubbed her thumb over the silver wedding band on Rei's ring finger. A similar one was on her own. She looked at his face. There was a large bruise forming near his chin, but other than that, he looked just as if he was sleeping. But Kira knew he wasn't really sleeping. One of the paramedics said, "He's not too bad. He'll be okay once the doctors take care of him." Kira nodded, but she was still upset. He had finally won the Suzuka. He must have been so exhilarated. And then this happened. It seemed that every year, something would happen to worsen things for them.

The awards ceremony was cancelled. They had rewarded the third place winners with their prize privately. The audience was being ushered out from the stands. Questions were flying everywhere. Akitaka and Kyoko went outside and looked around the crowd forming at the exit. He saw Harumi and Tatsuya and went up to them, "Hey, Tatsuya, Harumi." They turned and smiled weakly, "Hi, Akitaka." Tatsuya asked, "How's Rei? Did they say anything?" Akitaka said, "They said he'll live and he'll recover eventually. But I'm still not too sure, I'd rather have the doctor's word. I'm heading over to the hospital right now. Are you going too?" Harumi said, "Of course. We'll follow you."

They entered the emergency room doors and found Kira sitting in the waiting area. She was holding her head in her hands, crying. Harumi sat down beside her and put an arm around her comfortingly, "Are you all right, Kira?" Kira sniffed and said quietly, "Why did he do that? Rei finally won, and then..." She sobbed and Harumi hugged her. Akitaka was quietly fuming and Tatsuya went to the paramedics to ask questions. Kyoko sat on the other side of Kira. The bright red light above the ER was on.

Kyoko said, "I'm sure Rei will pull through. He'll be alright Kira, he will." She wiped a tear from her eye. They were all waiting for about an hour when the door into the waiting room burst open. Rei's father stood in the doorway. Kira stared at him and he asked, "What's happened? Is Rei alright?" Kira sniffed and puther head in her hands. Tatsuya returned and said, "The nurse told me that in time, he'll be fine. As for what happened, Rei finally won the Suzuka. But when he stopped his bike, the second place racer kept going and crashed into him. Rei got thrown back and his bike landed on top of him. I dunno how bad he is, exactly." Mr.Kashino removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, sighing, "This is too much. Why does it always have to be Rei getting hurt?"

Harumi and Tatsuya left to pick up Rei's bike. Kyoko and Akitaka had gone back to the racetrack to collect the winnings and to try and find some more information on what exactly was going on. A doctor exited the ER and Kira and Mr.Kashino stood. The doctor removed his mask and smiled, "It was a successful surgery. The patient will be just fine. But it will take about two months for him to walk on his left leg again. His femur was pretty much shattered. He'll probably have to stay at the hospital for a week, more or less." Kira sighed and smiled, "Thank God." The doctor said, "We'll be moving him into the recovery room, and then we'll get him his own room." He left and then someone else entered the waiting room. Kira said, "Officer Okuda?" The officer said, "Hello Kira, Mr.Kashino."

Officer Okuda said, "Mr.Kashino, Kira, I have to ask. Are you planning to press charges against Mr.Takuhai?" Kira bit her lip, but Mr.Kashino said, "Yes. He crashed into my son purposely, that's reason enough. But to top it off, this is the second time." Kira didn't object, but she stayed quiet. Okuda said, "Okay. Whenever you can, you'll have to drop by the station. I'll have everything ready for you there. But right now I have to go. I have to talk to Takuhai and get this whole case figured out."

"Uhn..." It was too bright. Rei tried lifting his arm to shield his eyes, but it hurt too much. A moment later, a shade came over his eyes. They fluttered open and he muttered, "Kira..." Kira smiled at him from the window, closing the curtains, "You're finally up. I was worried." She came up to him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, "How are you feeling?" "Like shit.Ugh, what the hell happened?" Kira explained everything and added, "But Officer Okuda told us that Mitsuru said he couldn't grab the bike's brakes in time." Rei, not as groggy as he was before, rolled his eyes, "Bullshit. He's a good enough racer to know how to work his brakes, if not, steer out of the way. That bastard is just trying to weasel out of trouble again." Kira sighed, "Well, your father said he was going to press charges against Mitsuru. Is that okay with you?" Rei said, "Yeah." He blinked and remembered something, "Hey, I don't remember well, did I win?" Kira smiled, "Yep." Rei gave her a wide grin, "Yes! Finally!"

A knock came from the door, "Looks like you're doing well, Rei." Mr.Kashino smiled and came in, "Good to see you awake." Kira smiled, "Hello, father! How are you?" Mr.Kashino smiled, "I'm doing well. I just came from the police station. Officer Okuda already set a date for the trial, it will be in two weeks. The doctors said you should be well enough by then to appear in court. Is that okay with you, Rei?" Rei nodded, "Yeah." Mr.Kashino put a hand on Rei's shoulder, "Good. So I'll prepare everything for now. You just concentrate on getting better." Rei grinned, "You got it." Mr.Kashino said, "Well, I've got to go to work now. Then I'll be back at the station with Officer Okuda. If you need me you can call my cell phone." Kira smiled, "Have a good day at work." Mr.Kashino waved as he backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Rei smirked, "Finally, he's gone." Kira raised an eyebrow, "What?" "Kiss me." Kira smiled and bent down, pressing her lips against his. Rei pressed closer, deepening the kiss. After another moment, Kira pulled away, a tinge of pink on her cheeks, "Rei, we're in the hospital, we can't be doing this." Rei licked his now pink and cherry-lip-balm-flavored lips seductively and smirked, "Why not?"

A light tapping on the door saved Kira from another blush attack as the doctor walked in, "Okay, Rei Kashino, let's get a look at that leg of yours." First he looked up at the beeping monitors above Rei's bed, and then at Rei's face, "Hmm, I didn't know the grand prize winner of the Suzuka 8-hour wore pink lip balm..." Rei grinned in embarrassment and wiped his lips with the back of his right hand. The doctor smiled and lifted the bottom of the blanket. Rei blinked at the thing that lay where his leg was supposed to be.

His leg was in a splint, barely recognizable in the gauze that had turned red, almost black in one spot below his knee. The doctor said, "We're gonna have to get someone to change those." He glanced at Rei's wide eyes, "Oh, and don't worry. It may look bad, but that's only because you've got a big gash in the front. The bone there is shattered, but we should be able to fix it, almost as good as new. At least, good enough to ride again, if you're still looking into it." Rei sighed in relief, "Oh, good. I love to ride, it would suck if I ended up like Akitaka." "Ah, yes, Akitaka. I remember him, he's the one who got in that accident a few years back and had to have his leg removed. I had to help with the prosthetic surgery, tricky work, but we managed. Yeah, but you don't have to worry about anything like that. I'd say you'll only be in here for another two, maybe three weeks before we send you home on crutches."

Kira asked, "What about his arm?" Rei glanced down to his left arm, "Oh, I didn't even notice that." The doctor nodded, "You're still on some painkillers, so I don't think you should feel it. Anyway, your arm wasn't injered to bad. Just a small fracture, that should get better in a week, more or less. So you shouldn't have a problem using the crutches." He flicked the plastic bag hanging from a pole, a tube going from it to a needle in Rei's arm, and a clear liquid sloshing inside. "So, ah, how'd this exactly happen to you? Really, most of us doctors are kept in the dark about why, we just work." The he assured, "You don't have to tell me though. I'm not really supposed to be asking. Just out of curiosity, you know?"

Rei smirked, "Ah, just a grudge. My rival racer tried to kill me last year in a smaller race, and he tried again this year, but he should know better. Rei Kashino dies hard." The doctor laughed, "That's right! Anyway, how did this all happen? And what happened to your rival?" Rei sighed, "I beat him almost every time in some smaller races. And this is his first Suzuka qualification, but this is my third. Almost every race we both participated in, he's been getting rougher with each one. And now that he's gotten me into a hospital bed again, there's no stopping my dad from pressing charges against him. He's taking care of all of it, he's been bugging me to sue him since last year anyway." The doctor shook his head and chuckled, "Wait, wait, so how old are you?" "Twenty." "And how old is your rival?" "Uh, I dunno, twenty-seven I think." The doctor raised an eyebrow, "Did he start all of this?" "Yeah. I don't normally have a problem with any of the other racers unless they piss me off." The doctor chuckled again, "Well, your rival is just acting like a child. I think your father is right in sueing him, it'll make him grow up a little." Rei shrugged, "I dunno. I don't really care what happens to him. I just wanna get out of here soon so me and Kira can, um, celebrate my winning the race." He smirked knowingly at Kira who blushed a bright red color.

The doctor laughed, "Ah yes, then don't worry, I'll take good care of you and make sure you get out of here fast. So, I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone now, have a nice day!" When the door shut, Rei sighed, "Oh man, I'm tired." Kira said, "Then get some sleep. There's not much else to do here." Rei looked around the room. The curtains around the windows were wide open. There was a chair next to his bed and a small table next to the chair. A small canvas was facing the opposite direction and brushes and paint tubes were scattered around the small table. On top of the chair was a racing magazine with an old picture of Rei from a racing photoshoot, a small picture in the corner, and the headline:

**CRASH AT SUZUKA 8-HOUR**

**1ST PLACE KASHINO AND SECOND PLACE TAKUHAI INJURED**

_**WAS IT A SABOTAGE?**_

Rei said, "Gimmie that magazine." Kira took it and handed it to him, "It has some pictures of what happened. You looked pretty bad." Rei glanced at the corner picture. "Oh man, the worksmachine got totaled." "Yeah, it crashed pretty badly. It was a good thing you weren't still on it." Rei flipped open the magazine to the article and blinked, "Uh, wow." There was a full page picture of Rei on the stretcher. His hair was a matted mess covered in sweat, blood, and dirt. An oxygen mask covered his nose and bloody mouth. His neck was wrapped up in a cast and his left arm and leg had the racing uniform sliced open and bloody. Rei's face was pale and his head lolled to the side. Rei slowly sucked in a breath, "I guess you weren't kidding when you said I looked bad." Then he saw on the slightly blurred corner of the picture a familiar face. It was Kira, and she had terrified tears streaming down her face. She was holding Rei's hand as the paramedics lifted him into the ambulance. Rei took Kira's hand, "I'm sorry, baby. I worry you too much." Kira smiled and shook her head, "As long as you're okay, I will be too."

Rei smiled, "I love you, Kira. I love how you always put up with my shit and still stay with me." Kira kissed him lightly, "I love you too. I'll be by your side forever."

InvincibleInuYasha: Okay, sorry haven't written in so long! First it was because I had writer's block. Then I was traveling, then I kinda took a break (sorry!), and then I was just too busy. So I'm gonna try to make up for it sooner or later. During my 'break', I kinda did something that makes my parents take the computer away from me for a while so every chance I get to write, I will try! Okay, I also wanted to ask, does anybdy know what Mitsuru would be charged with for his crime? I'm not very into the legal system, but I have some ideas for the trial. If I don't know that then I guess I'll just skip the court scene, but I thought it would be interesting to include it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, keep checking every once in a while to see if there's anything new posted, thanks! o And Rock on! \m/ lmao


	3. Getting Back Up

InvincibleInuYasha: Sorry, haven't written in a while, please forgive me! lol. Anyway, I've been swamped with projects and i've been sick too, so cut me some slack. I like to take a break too. I sound mean. Sorry again. Anyway, I think I'm going to move the court daete up just cuz noone's been letting me kno how it works. So ima write this big so someone actually reads it: **DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW A COURT CASE LIKE THIS ONE WOULD WORK? **Cuz I got a lot of stuff to do, don't got time to watch judge mathis or judy so i need sum help. thanks! And if you don't, I'll just figure sumthing out, totally skip the court case maybe. now, ima just get to work now. bye! Enjoy, read and review!

Disclaimer: No, no, MARS doesn't belong to me. Please stop laughing now.

**Chapter Three: Getting Back Up**

"Ugh, yuck. That's disgusting! Ow! Don't touch it!" Rei tried to cover up his bloody leg with the blankets without touching it, "Don't, it hurts!" Kira stood beside him, "She has to change them or you'll get infected. It'll be even uglier than that." Rei stuck out his bottom lip, "You're calling me ugly?" Kira rolled her eyes as the nurse quickly lifted Rei's leg, ignoring his shriek, and slicing the bandages off. She skillfully rewrapped the leg in fresh bandages and rested his leg back down, "There, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Rei kept his eyes tightly shut, "You all say the same lies." The nurse had left before he could finish answering. Rei sighed and leaned his head back in the pillows, "Urg, she was mean. That hurt a lot."

Kira gave him a quick kiss on the lips, "You want to try walking around now? We don't have to go to the physical therapy room, we could just try walking around this wing of the hospital." Rei yawned, "Naw. I'm getting tired." Kira said, "It's already been a week since you woke up. You have to start some therapy or you won't be well enough to go to court next week. After your father went to all that trouble, the least you could do is be prepared."

"Well, lucky for us, the date was rescheduled." Mr.Kashino walked in and smiled, "How are you doing, Rei?" Rei shrugged, "Been better." Kira asked, "So, when will the case be?" "In a month. That should be enough time for you to recover, right Rei? Well, if you actually listen to Kira for once, I'm sure it would." Rei shrugged, "Whatever. I'm hungry. Kira, baby, could you..." "Okay Rei, I'll get you something to eat." She left the room.

Mr.Kashino smiled, "So, when's my baby coming?" Rei sighed, "Not yet, dad, not yet. Before I help bring a kid into this world I at least want to be ready to take care of it. First, me and Kira are moving out of my apartment. It's not in good condition, a bad location. And besides, it's getting torn down in two months. So, with the money I won during the race combined with our savings, we're going to try to get a better place to live. Then we'll start saving up for a child." He stared out of the window, a faint smile on his lips, "Sometimes I just can't wait. I mean, we've talked about it, we're both dying to have a kid of our own. But we also want to raise it right. I'm not letting my kid be as messed up as I am." Mr.Kashino smiled, "I think you'd be a good father, Rei." Rei looked up at him, "You think so?" Mr.Kashino nodded, "Yes. I can tell. You've got a lot of love. And you also want to be able to share something special with Kira. I think that's wonderful." Rei grinned, "So, dad, was it a boy you wanted?" Mr.Kashino laughed, "Anything's fine, I just want a grandchild!"

Kira walked in with a tray, "Grandchild?" Mr. Kashino and Rei laughed.

"Okay, Rei. Time for some exersice!" Rei groaned at the nosy doctor he met earlier, "But last time I tried my leg almost fell off!" The doctor laughed, "Oh, c'mon, it wasn't that bad, just a little bleeding. I fixed it up in no time at all. Now you're ready to try again, so get up!" Kira held Rei's hand and helped him to get up. Rei took in a sharp breath and cursed at the pain in his leg, "This fuckin' sucks."

Kira and Rei tried walking around the wing first. After a few minutes, Rei had totally forgotten about his leg, "So, anyway, remember when my dad was here?" Kira nodded, "Yeah, what were you two talking about? I heard 'grandchild'." Rei grinned, "Exactly! Well, for him exactly, but for us, our own kid!" Kira smiled, "Yeah. That would be great." "So, how about it? As soon as I'm better and we're outta that apartment, you wanna try?" Kira stopped and stared at Rei, "Rei, we talked about this before. You know that-" "We have to have enough to support it and the time to take care of it. I know all that Kira! But you don't know something." Kira asked, "What?" "I did some calculating a while back, when we were just beginning to talk about it. And I figured that if I did a little extra work on the side, won a few races, and saved some money, we'd have enough money. And now that I won the Suzuka, we'll have more than enough money!"

Kira said, "But there was the five-thousand dollar prize and the bike. How are you splitting this with Akitaka and Kyoko?" Rei chuckled, "I already took care of that. Kyoko will take the bike, I'll take the money. Kyoko has been needing a new one since her other bike got wrecked up during practice, and she knows I need the money because of us. So, Kira, I took care of everything. How about it? Please say yes!" Kira smiled, "Well, I guess I'll have to cut a few classes in art school." Rei interrupted her, "You don't even have to do that! I've been practicing a lot only so I could compete more and make more money, but now that we're set, I won't have to spend too much time there. And you start your classes in the afternoon, my practice is in the morning, we'll have and hour together in between, and then the evening. And I promise, Kira, I'll take good care of you. If you call me, I'll come, no matter where I am, I'll do whatever you want as long as you're happy." Rei stared at her hoprefully, "C'mon!" Kira smiled, "I'll do the same for you Rei. Let's have a baby." Rei grinned from ear to ear, "Woohoo! Yeah!" He gave Kira a big kiss and then stopped a doctor in the hallway, "We're gonna have a baby!" The doctor looked confused, but said, "Um, congratulations?" Rei turned back to Kira, "Oh my God! We're gonna have a baby! I love you, Kira!" He took her into a big hug and she laughed, "I love you too, Rei!

Rei walked around the huge hallway, muttering under his breath, "Open the fucking door!" A moment later, Harumi walked inside from the elevator, "Oh, Rei! What areyou doing here? I thought you were supposed to be in the hospital." Rei shrugged, "I got better, had some motivation." He grinned at the thought. "Anyway, where's Tatsuya?" Harumi said, "Well, he's usually in school at this time. Why? Did he say he was going to meet you?" "Yeah, the asshole said, 'Be here at one', and here he isn't!" Harumi rolled her eyes, "Well, he tends to be late sometimes. Just come in." She opened the door, revealing a large, lavish apartment, decorated with a very modern, yet sexy flair. She threw her purse and keys on a table near the door and kicked off her sandals, "So, how are things with you and Kira? She told me you were coming here to tell us something, she wouldn't spill the beans." Rei closed the door and took off his shoes, "Yeah, actually we decided on something." Harumi narrowed her eyes at him, "Good or bad news?" Rei smiled, "Great news actually." "Then tell me." "We're gonna have a baby."

The door burst open, "You've gotta be kidding me, Rei!" Tatsuya ripped his shoes off and gave Rei a punch on the shoulder, "That's great!" Harumi smiled, "Wow. Is she already pregnant?" Rei shook his head, "No. I just got out of the hospital two days ago and the doctor said no sex or I'd rip my leg open. And you know Kira, if the doctor says one week, it's one week." Tatsuya shrugged, "Whatever, that's still so cool. But what are you gonna do? Don't you have to move soon anyway? Do you have money? If you need anything, you know you can always-" Rei said, "Nah, that's okay. I'd saved enough for a while, but the race just gave me that five-thousand, so we're set. We're just going to move to a better area, nicer apartment." Harumi grinned, "Oh, I'm sure the baby will be cute, whether it's a boy or a girl. With Rei and Kira's looks, it's bound to be gorgeous!" Rei laughed.

Rei sighed, "Well, I told you my story. What's up with you guys? Did you get any new jobs, Harumi? I something about a popstar..?" Harumi smiled, "Yep, I used to do makeup just for some rising actors and actresses, but somehow, word got to this pop star and she hired me. She seems pretty popular, so I might be able to reel in the big bucks." Rei chuckled, "That's cool. Maybe we can all go to a concert sometime." Harumi reminded him, "Better be soon, 'cause later Kira's gonna be busy being pregnant, and after that,you've got a kid to take care of." Rei said, "Oh yeah. Anyway, Tatsuya, you?" Tatsuya shrugged, "Not much. Still doing a bunch of schooling and practice, making some money in between." "What are you doing again?" Tatsuya said, "A plastic surgeon. Tough as hell, but it's pretty interesting too. Bet you never would've thought I'd try this when we were in high school, right!" Rei burst out laughing, "Hell no! You were so worried that you wouldn't get into the colleges you applied for! But that's great."

"But, when are you two gonna get married?" Tatsuya and Harumi looked at each other and smiled, "We don't know." Rei laughed, "I married Kira as soon as I could, and you guys have been going out for about five years and Tatsuya still hasn't popped the question? Wow, man." Tatsuya shrugged it off, "Hey, we like it like that. And we wanna see if we can stand each other for a few more years. Then, maybe we'll get married." Harumi smiled and gave Tatsuya a kiss on the cheek, "You can wait, can't you?" Tatsuya smiled, "Yep."

Rei said, "Okay, enough of that mushy stuff. I gotta get to work now. It was great seeing you guys." Tatsuya and Harumi gave him a hug and Harumi added, "Tell Kira not to come near my place until she's good and fertilized!" Rei smirked, "Oh, don't worry, I'll make sure that's soon." Tatsuya punched him on the arm again, "Sure, sure. See ya, you hedonist."

"Jump up and down on that leg." The doctor watched as Rei jumped around in a little circle with ease. "Now lift your leg onto the bed and try to touch your toes." Rei did as he was told. The doctor smiled, "Well, looks like you're good to go, Kashino. Pleasure doing business with you." Rei said, "Finally, I can't wait to go home tonight!" The doctor said, "But, you were allowed to be sent home a few days ago." Rei pointed at him, "But, not allowed to have sex. I'm gonna make a baby tonight!" The doctor chuckled as Rei sprinted out of the room. "Young love."

InvincibleInuYasha: How was that? Short? Well, this was the first time I wrote one chapter in a day so, yeah. And I've totally ignored my two other fics. Anyway, I have a question for you devout readers, it's all based on your opinion. Okay, I was thinking, this could be a short story, going maybe a few more chapters, or I could make this a really long story, going years and years ahead of the tale. I'm leaning towards the latter, but like I said, it's up to you, it's what the readers want. Maybe you just want a shorter version cuz it'll be faster for me to finish since I rarely update this much. But I'll try to make the longer version more exciting. Yeah, so think about, review, let me kno, cuz I have to know soon. I can end this story in two chapters or twenty. So, R&R, see ya!


	4. Confronting the Enemy

InvincibleInuYasha: Hey, I'm on a writing spree, hooray! New plot development is just great! So, it's been decided. Baby time! But I gotta figure out how to fill in the empty space. Hmmm. I'll figure it out. I think I'm going to add a little bit of angst or pain in this chapter, there isn't enough, lol. R&R!

Disclaimer: MARS isn't mine, duh.

**Chapter Four: Confronting the Enemy**

Rei yawned and opened his eyes. The sun was bright in his eyes. He looked over to the other side of the bed. It was empty. Rei got up and pulled on the pair of jeans he'd thrown on the floor the night before, "Kira?" He looked around the room, checked the kitchen, and sighed, "Urg, Kira, where are you?" He went to the bathroom, but the door was closed and locked. Rei knocked, "Kira, baby, are you in there?" Rei pressed his ear up to the door and heard a muffled cry. He knocked again, "Kira, are you okay? Open the door."

Rei ran his fingers through his hair, "Kira, please, open the door!" He heard a click and he opened the door slowly. He couldn't open it much because Kira was sitting behind it. Rei could see her legs and feet coming out from behind. He sighed, "Kira, baby, what's wrong?" Kira mumbled, "It didn't work." Rei looked on top of the sink and saw an open box of pregnancy tests. He shook his head, "Don't be so upset about it Kira, it's too bad it didn't work, but, we'll try again." Kira sniffed, "But I'm scared."

Rei squeezed through the door and sat in front of Kira, taking her hand in his, "Scared? Of what?" Kira said, "That I might not be able to do it. I'm scared that maybe something's wrong with me that I can't get pregnant." Rei pulled her arm and held Kira, taking in the scent of her hair, "Nothing's wrong with you. You've never felt anything strange, have you?" Kira was quiet. Rei held Kira away and looked at her, "Have you?" Kira said, "Only sometimes. I'm scared it could be bad though. Maybe I got something that one time..." Rei stared at her. Why hadn't she mentioned this before? This could be serious and she kept quiet. Rei asked, "Has this been going on long? Since then? Is it serious?" Kira started to cry again, "I've been feeling strange since then. But I didn't really think much about it before. Rei, I'm scared." Rei held her close, "We'll go to the doctor. Today. We'll check and see what we can do about it. Don't worry Kira, I love you."

Kira held Rei's hand tightly. The doctor's office always gave her the heebiejeebies, but this time she was waiting for results that could change both of their lives. Rei squeezed back. He was also nervous. They'd both been wanting to have a child and now Kira realized she could be sick. Rei was also being tested just in case because if worse comes to worse, he and Kira would both need treatment.

"Rei and Kira Kashino? Please go to office four." Kira got up shakily and Rei let out a ragged breath, "Let's go." They walked through the tiny hall lined with closed doors. They reached office four and sat in two chairs that were in front of a large oak desk. There were books with titles in different languages, papers, and about a thousand pens all over the desk. Over the wall were degrees, stickers, and posters about sex and the reproductive systems. Then a younger man walked in. He wore a long white lab coat and shiny black shoes. He had strange instruments in his chest pocket.

The doctor sat down behind his desk and looked through a folder, "Hmm, you want to hear the good news first, or the bad?" Rei looked at Kira and said, "Give us the bad news." The doctor sighed and looked at Kira as well, "Mrs.Kashino, you tests turned out positive for chlamydia." Kira swallowed, but remained quiet. The doctor then glanced at the folder again, "But luckily, there's more good news than bad. From the X-rays we took, we found out your fallopian tubes and your uterus are still good enough to harbor a child. It'll just be a little more difficult to get there. And to prevent any discomfort, we've got some effective medicines. But you also have to come back if you become pregnant. We'll need to give you more treatment to ensure the safety of yourself and your baby." He looked up to see if they were getting all of this, "Ah, yes, and Rei, you luckily came out negative, so we won't have to worry about any problems with your fertility if you're really looking to have a child. So, Kira, I'm going to give you a prescription for some pills. Just take two, once daily. Oh, and to make sure that no one will catch this, no sex until you've been using the medicine for at least a week. If you wanna be really safe, make it two. And make sure to take the whole prescription, even if you feel better, otherwise the disease will just come back." He ripped off a piece of paper from a prescription pad, signed it, and handed it to Rei, "And just make an appointment at the front desk for next week, we'll need a follow-up appointment to see how Kira's doing."

"So, do you have ny questions?" Rei said, "Um, could you tell me when she contracted the disease?" Rei was scared that he may have done this to Kira. He would hate himself for it. The doctor asked, "When did you start having a sexually active relationship?" Rei thought, "Three, almost four years ago." "Hmm, I'm pretty sure it was even before that, long before that, maybe. It's actually surprising that she's in such good condition, and that you haven't been infected." Rei nodded, "Thank you, doctor." He shook his hand and then walked out of the office, holding Kira's hand. They made another appointment and went outside to Rei's bike. Kira held her hands over her face and mumbled, "I'm sorry."

Rei turned to her and held her. He whispered to her, "It's okay, Kira. It's not your fault. I love you." But right now, Rei was livid. How could Kira's stepfather have raped her and infected her, and not even feel guilty about it? Of all the times Rei wanted to shred him apart with his bare hands, he wanted to now more than ever. Kira cried into Rei's chest, mumbling incoherently, "Sorry... should have... love you.." Rei caressed her back comfortingly and kissed the top of her head, "C'mon, let's go home." As they rode home, Kira held onto Rei tightly, crying.

"Rei, are you sure you want to do this?" Rei stood in front of Kira's old home and nodded, "Yeah. It's about time I did something about this." He knocked on the door and an older woman answered, "Oh, Rei, Kira! I wasn't expecting you. Please, come in." After a few minutes, they found themselves in the kitchen as Kira's mother made tea, "So, how are you? Surprising me with a visit all of a sudden, I've got to wonder." Kira folded her hands on top of her lap and sighed, "Rei actually wants to talk to dad. Is he here?" Kira's mother turned around in surprise, "Oh. Um, he'll be home soon, maybe in fifteen minutes. Why? Is there something wrong?" Rei said, "Yes. But I'll talk to him about it." He sounded as if he were restricting a lot of anger though his visage was calm.

After two cups of tea and a lot of small talk, the front door could be heard opening, "I'm home." Rei was gripping the edge of the table until he was white-knuckled. The kitchen door opened and Rei could nearly feel Kira shudder though she wasn't touching him. The man who walked through the door had a look of bewilderment and fear when he saw Kira and Rei at the kitchen table, staring at him. Rei got up and said, "I need to talk to you." The man stared, dumbfounded, for a moment before he nodded and hesitantly led him to another part of the house.

When it was calm in the kitchen, Kira's mother asked, "W-what's going on? What does he have to talk to your father about?" Kira stared into her empty teacup, "Mom, do you remember that time when I was in eighth grade?"

"I know what you did to her back then, so don't try to deny it. I came to talk about something else that happened that day." Rei stared at the man. But he didn't look very angry, rather, he looked very hurt. Kira's father said shakily, "So then, what is it?" Rei sighed, "You don't even realize what you did that day, do you? Not only did you rape her, but you made her sick. We found out a few days ago that she has chlamydia." Kira's father sat there, stunned for a moment. But then he said, "No! It couldn't have been me!" Rei raised his voice, "How else could she have gotten it? I got tested too, I was negative, it wasn't me. It could only be you! You're the one who raped her! How else could she have gotten it?" Kira's father crossed his arms and looked away, "Well, you never know. Before you, she could have just been sleeping around."

Rei's fist slammed into the man's face, "Don't you _dare_ talk about my wife like that, you fucking asshole! She would never do that, not after what you did to her! She was terrified! How can you just deny everything and act like nothing happened?" Rei punched him again, "You're sick! The least you could do is apologize to her! Because of you, she's scared because she's sick!" Rei fell to his knees and punched the ground, releasing a strangled cry, "You've ruined her life too many times! Even if you pretend it never happened, Kira remembers and suffers every day! The least you could do is feel guilty and say you're sorry!"

Kira burst into the room, quickly followed by her mother. Both men were on the floor, Kira's father recovering from the blows to his face, and Rei recovering from his emotional episode. Kira ran to Rei's side and wrapped her arms around him, tears running down her face, "Rei."

Kira held her arms tightly around Rei. The wind speeding around them as Rei drove the motorcycle never failed to soothe Kira when she was upset. Rei could say the same thing. Kira thought about what had just happened at her mother's house. It all went by so fast after her father had arrived.

_Rei got up and said, "I need to talk to you." Kira's father was shocked for a moment, but then led him to another room. Kira's mother asked, "W-what's going on? What does he have to talk to your father about?" Kira stared into her empty teacup, "Mom, do you remember that time when I was in eighth grade?" Kira's mother looked a little guilty, "Yes, honey. What about it?" Kira sighed, "I hope you didn't sleep with dad. He gave me chlamydia." Kira's mother gasped, putting a hand over her mouth, "Oh my goodness!" The tears were already welling up in her eyes as she walked over to Kira, hugging her closely, "Oh, Kira, that's terrible! I'm so sorry!" Kira was going to tell her that she wasn't in such bad condition when she heard shouting from upstairs._

_"Don't you **dare**_ _talk about my wife like that, you fucking asshole! She would never do that, not after what you did to her!" Kira got up and helped her mother to follow her as she ran down the hallway to the stairs. "She was terrified! How can you just deny everything and act like nothing happened?" Kira heard a slapping noise and a loud thump on the floor. "You're sick! The least you could do is apologize to her! Because of you, she's scared because she's sick!" Kira heard another thump on the floor, though it wasn't as loud. Rei's voice began to choke up, "You've ruined her life too many times! Even if you pretend it never happened, Kira remembers and suffers every day! The least you could do is feel guilty and say you're sorry!" Kira slammed the door open and took in everything. On the opposite side of the room, her stepfather was struggling to get up, his hand over his mouth, dripping blood. Rei was closer to the door, on his knees, leaning on his knuckles. He was staring at the floor, his long hair covering his face. His breathing was ragged. Kira ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him as best as she could, "Rei."_

_After the stunned moment of silence, Rei got up, still facing the floor as he wiped his eyes on his sleeve and sniffed. When he lifted his head, Kira could see his eyes were red and watery. Kira held him closely, "Rei, please. Let's go home." "Wait."_

_Kira's stepfather had somewhat cleaned himself up with a towel from a laundry basket in the corner. He slowly went on his knees and said, "He's right. I've been avoiding it for too long. Kira, I am truly sorry. I had no idea that I would have infected you. Even for doing that to you in the first place was terrible of me. Please, Kira, if you can, forgive me." Kira stared at him, "You should know that after raping me I wouldn't forgive you, ever. And you got me sick. If I don't recover well, I'll probably never be able to have a child." Her stepfather looked up at her, defeated. Then, Kira said, "But thank you for apologizing."_

_Rei led her out of the house and handed her a helmet when Kira's mother called out, "Kira." Kira looked back and her mother said, "Please, take care of yourself." Kira smiled, "Bye, mom."_

When the bike stopped, Kira was surprised at how fast the ride was. She looked around, "Rei, why are we here?" Rei removed his helmet and smiled at Kira, his eyes still red and lightly puffy, "I just want to spend some time with you. I mean, with your school, and then the racing season coming up, we won't have that much alone time." Kira smiled and took his hand as they walked into the park in front of a familiar apartment complex, "Where we first met. I'm glad I came here that day." Rei grinned, "Me too. Imagine if either one of us hadn't." Kira frowned, "We probably would've never really met." Rei nodded, but then he grinned again, "But hey, back then I was a horndog, you were the quiet one. Opposites attract! I would've come to you sooner or later, I bet." Kira smiled and kissed Rei on the lips, "I love you."

"I'm so sorry, Kira. You must feel awful!" Kira twisted the keychain on her cell phone and smiled, "No, it's not so bad. As long as Rei's with me, I'll be okay." Harumi laughed, "Hmm, you lovebirds. I'll be lucky if Tatsuya makes me breakfast when I have a cold." Kira said, "Well, I usually do the cooking for Rei. I'd actually be a little scared to eat anything other thancereal or eggs if he makes it." Harumi giggled, "You'll hurt his feelings if you say that to him!" Kira smirked, "Oh, he knows already. That's why he makes sure there's always a micromve meal handy." Harumi laughed hysterically, "Wow, I can already see him trying to work a microwave!"

Kira asked, "Hey, Harumi, how did you find out that I was sick, anyway?" Harumi stifled her laugher and said, "Oh, well, Rei had called Tatsuya telling him that he went to your parents' house yesterday, but he didn't give any details, but Tatsuya said he sounded pretty bummed out. So I got worried and I called your mom and asked what was going on and she told me everything. I was scared for a minute though. I thought you'd left Rei to go back and live with your parents, like you did in high school." Kira laughed, "Oh, sorry. No, I could never leave Rei. It's just that Rei wanted to talk to my stepdad about, try to get him to at least apologize. Rei sort of beat him up, but he eventually apologize." Harumi asked, "You didn't forgive him, did you?" Kira said, "No." "Good, because that pig shouldn't be forgiven." Kira said, "He must have said something bad about me because Rei started screaming at him, telling him not to talk about me like he did. When I asked Rei he just said it was nothing. But he really sort of flipped out." Harumi suggested, "Maybe he just said you got it from somewhere else. And since Rei knows that besides that asshole and him, you've never slept with anybody else. Rei probably flipped out because he knows you never would have done such a thing." Kira said, "Hmm. Well, whatever he said, I'm glad Rei defended me. It always makes me happy." Harumi laughed, "That's sweet. Oh, well Kira, I have to go to work, can't be late or the girl will totally go nuts." Kira said, "Okay, I'll talk to you later, bye." "Bye."

Kira got up from her bellyflop position on the bed and walked towards the window. Her easel, canvas, and paints stood near or on the windowsill. She pulled a little stool close and picked up her supplies. She looked over at the clock. It was 9:30 in the morning. Rei would have to be at the racetrack in an hour, "Rei! Are you done yet!" She heard the shower turn off and the door to the bathroom slammed open. Rei flew out of the room stark naked and gave Kira a quick kiss on the cheek before running back to the bathroom and closing the door. Kira was too stunned to move at the time, but then she cracked up, "Rei! What was that for?" Rei tried to sing, but it came out as a howl, "I love you, Kira!" Kira laughed, "I love you too, Rei!" She tried to get back to her painting, but Rei came out of the bathroom, wearing jeans, and asked, "You wanna go to the track today? You don't have school today, right?" Kira said, "Okay." "But, you have that assignment, can you paint it there?" Kira said, "I could, but it'd take too long to dry. It's not due in a week, I'll just sketch something there for another assignment." Rei shrugged, "Works for me." He pulled on a shirt as Kira gathered a sketchbook and some pencils in a small bag.

Rei opened the apartment door for Kira and kissed her hand, "Your carriage awaits, my fair lady." Kira giggled, "And you are my knight in shining armor!" Rei pulled her by her hand and kissed her.

InvincibleInuYasha: Good chapter? You liked it? I hope so, After they left the doctors office, I was totally lost on what to do next. I don't know if it was too creative, but at least you see some of Rei's soft side, how much he loves Kira, lol. Anyway, send in some more reviews, I like them. I don't care if you flame me, they don't really bother me unless it's something I totally can't fix. But I'm sure I can figure out a way through everything, lol. I'm way too full of myself, I think that's enough of me hearing myself talk... or type. lol. R&R, chao!


	5. Future Memories

InvincibleInuYasha: Hey, did you like the last chapter? I thought it was okay, but in the end, it's your opinions that keep this story going. Anyway, i"ll try to make some new plot development here. I dunno. Just review, let me know if I'm doing good enough for you lol. And could someone tell me what the sentence would be for Takuhai? I think his case would be attempted murder and sabotage. Maybe, I'm not sure. lol. Don't think I'm ever going to be a lawyer, lol. R&R!

**Chapter Five: Future Memories**

"We've taken him into custody. We're gonna see what he has to say and then we'll set a date for the trial." Rei stared at Officer Okuda, "So, what might happen to him?" Officer Okuda sighed and folded his hands together, "I can't really say, I'm not that much in the judicial scene. Probably some jail time, possibly without bail." "And what could I get?" Okuda answered, "Hm, well, seeing as your father wants to sue, I'd assume you'd be getting quite a large chunk of money. And Mitsuru lives alone, and he's been in so many races, usually getting in the winner's circle if you're not racing. So I'd say he's got plenty of money. You'd probably get about ten, fifteen grand."

Rei's eyes widened as her sat up, "Holy shit! I'd be set for a while with that cash." He contemplated his thoughts for a moment, "Well, hey, my father can get his best lawyer's to sap all the cash outta him... I dunno. I think I'd better talk to Kira about it. Maybe we shouldn't sue." Okuda argued, "Rei, he crashed into you twice, you've got every reason to-" Rei stopped him, a confused expression on his face, "Wait a sec... Wait... twice? I know there was that other time he tried to fix my bike, but a-a crash?" Okuda groaned as he rubbed his hand over his face, "Oh man, I screwed up."

Rei stood, "What the fuck's going on?" Okuda sighed, "Rei, Akitaka asked us to keep it a secret. The reason you crashed last year wasn't 'cause of an oil spill, or a nearby crash, or any of the other rumors you may have heard. Mitsuru... he crashed into you that time." Rei stuttered, not knowing what to say at this. Okuda continued, "Mitsuru had made it look like an accident, like his bike was malfunctioning. Akitaka knew you'd get mad if we told you too soon." Rei curled his fingers into a fist, "Still, why wasn't I told? I-I'm not as crazy as I used to be, it's not like I would have completely lost my mind over it." Okuda tried to say something, but Rei had cut him off, "The fact that none of you trust me bugs me more that what Mitsuru did. And Kira-" Rei sighed, "Kira..."

Okuda said, "Akitaka insisted that she kept quiet. But she hadn't even seen it to begin with. She was with Kyoko getting some food when it happened, Akitaka filled them in. So don't get upset with Kira." Rei shook his head, "Whatever. I have to go anyway. Bye."

Harumi brushed her hair out of her face, "What do you think, Kira?" She flipped through a book of sketches filled with clothing designs. Kira smiled, "These are great!" "Yeah, lately I've been thinking, I could be more than a hairdresser. I could be a fashion designer! I mean, I have some connections already. In all those dressing rooms I've been in, there are plenty of fashion consultants and designers around too." Kira said, "You should go for it. These are nice." Harumi grinned, "Thanks. And I was also thinking, you could help me too! I mean, you're a great artist, you could help me with some designs, if you want. I know you and Rei are looking to get a new house and have a kid, so, if I can actually go somewhere with this, we could partner up." Kira said, "That'd be great. I could start after I'm done with art school. After this year, I have only one more left." Harumi stretched her arms out, "Okay, so then we'll see what Rei and Tatsu have to say." Kira giggled, "You call him Tatsu now?" Harumi smiled, "Yeah. He said he says he doesn't like it, but I love it."

Kira's cell phone began to ring, "Oh, it's Rei. He must be leaving Akitaka's house by now." She answered, "Hi, Rei. Are you okay?" Over the line, Rei said, "Yeah, I'm fine. Where are you?" "I'm at Harumi's place." "Oh. Well, I'll go pick you up. You're not wearing sandal or a skirt, are you?" Kira smiled, knowing what was coming, "No." "Good. We'll take a ride on my bike. I wanna talk." Kira raised an eyebrow, "Okay. I'll see you later. Love you." "Love you too."

After Kira snapped her phone shut, Harumi asked, "So, are you feeling better?" Kira smiled, "Yeah. The doctor said I'll be okay soon. But I'll have to keep taking medications so I don't get worse or infect Rei. That would be terrible." Harumi said, "Are you gonna try for a baby again?" Kira laughed, "Rei really wants to. So I suppose we are. I think... I think Rei'll be a good dad." Harumi smiled, "Of course he will. He's already so excited and you're not even pregnant yet. You're kids will have the best dad ever." Kira sighed, "And he'll protect them from all of the bad things in the world, too."

A knock on the door interrupted the girls' coversation, "I'm home!" Harumi bounced off the couch, "Tatsu! You're home early!" After the couple greeted each other, Tatsuya noticed Kira, "Oh hey, Kira. How's it goin'?" Kira answered, "Not much. Rei and I have been looking through some houses and apartments in the area. We're gonna look around again today. Maybe we'll get to be your neighbors!" Tatsuya grinned, "That'd be cool. And weird." Harumi asked, "How would it be weird?" Tatsuya laughed, "Just imagine the spawn of Rei and our kids tearing down the building!" Harumi blushed and smacked Tatsuya's shoulder as he and Kira laughed. Tatsuya shrugged, "Hey, we are gonna get married eventually, and we might have kids, right? That's what I want, anyway." Harumi smiled at him, "Okay, when we get married, I'll be sure to make a bunch of precious little babies just for you. Well, for Kira's kids too, so they can have some playmates."

The roar of an engine outside of the apartment complex interrupted them yet again, "Here comes the monster," Tatsuya joked. Rei entered the door a few moments later with a grin, "Hey, you started the party without me. So, what's goin' on?" Tatsuya shrugged, "Nothin'. Just talking about demolition by child." Rei cocked an eyebrow, "What?" "Nothing." "Ooo-kay... So, Kira, wanna hit the road?" Kira nodded, "Let's go."

The sign mounted on the building read:

**Psychiatric Hospital and Rehabilitation Center**

He was regaining his lost memory. He was acting up again. The doctors continued to study his behavior and tried to ease his temper. But his mind was set. He had to see that boy again. And if nothing changed, if he didn't returned to the way he was, he would be killed. Masao was determined to do just that.

A Dr.Honda was currently trying to pry into mind of the crazed boy before him as they walked through the hospital grounds. But he was simply impenetreble. The doctors would see through his tricks, his fake tears, his fake panic attacks. Masao had given up on those long ago. But what the doctors couldn't crack was his constantly stoic expression. He wouldn't let them see even a glimpse of his thoughts, his rage, his hate. It was all hidden underneath a carefully constructed veil, guarded from analysts, psychiatrists, and machines.

Dr. Honda observed how Masao would eat. None of the others found his eating habits relevant to their study, but Dr. Honda notcied something that everyone else decided to ignore. Whenever Masao ate, he would never touch his knife. At the hospital, knives were given out in the cafeteria, but the patients were kept under surveillance and the knives were counted after meals to make sure the patients wouldn't sneak them out. Some patients would grip their knives with such a force that their knuckles turned white, some of them would shift their eyes from the knife and their wrists. But Masao never touched his knife. It was always left to the side of his tray and it would stay there during the entire meal. Even when tough meats were served, Masao kept the knife to the side.

This struck a curious spot in Dr.Honda's mind. Is there a reason why Masao, a seemingly stable person at times, chose not to touch his knife, not even brush it with his fingers? Does Masao have a memory from long ago that struck in him a fear of knives? Dr.Honda knew that this patient had once stabbed one of his peers, almost lethally, but whether or not it was this event that gave Masao this strange behavior at mealtimes was what made him tick. Most of the other doctors said he was probably just self-healing, staying away from knives for fear that he would feel the urge to stab again. Other doctors said he was still recoving from his last encounter with a knife. But Dr.Honda sensed something. He knew that Masao wasn't trying to better himself, he didn't have a fear. Dr.Honda had a hunch that Masao was up to no good. He could tell that something terrible would happen soon, and it had to do with Masao and a knife. Unfortunately, in a hospital full of research and science data, a hunch isn't recognized as something to worry about.

And sure enough, as Masao cleaned up his plate, staring at the knife, he said to himself, 'The next time I touch a knife will be when I kill Rei Kashino.'

"So, you're sure about this apartment?" The realtors shuffled papers around in her hands while Kira and Rei nodded. Rei said, "We'll take it. Right Kira?" Kira smiled, "It's perfect. Harumi and Tatsuya were right. I knew we'd end up neighbors." The realtor placed some papers in her breifcase and gave some to Rei, "Well, I'll just need you to fill those out. I'll come pick those up in a week. If you change any plans, just let me know. I'll work up the rest of the papers and then you'll have your new home." Kira smiled, "Thanks so much." "No problem."

As Kira and Rei walked out of the complex hand in hand, Rei said, "I almost forgot. Takemura called me this morning." Kira asked, "How is he? Is something wrong with Shiori again?" Rei said, "He's fine, and so is Shiori. He said that he was going to host an art show next month, and he asked if you wanted to show any of your art." Kira said, "That'd be good. Maybe I could sell a few paintings. And then we can buy some new furniture. The stuff we have now is getting old."

Rei suddenly asked, "Why didn't you tell me what happened at that race?" "W-which race?" "The first time Mitsuru crashed into me." Kira sighed, "I- Akitaka asked everyone to keep quiet about it. We knew you'd get upset if you'd found out." Rei said, "Well, I'm not that upset about it. Mitsuru's a sore loser, I know that. But none of you trust me. If anything happens, just tell me, Kira. That's what really upset me." Kira said, "I'm sorry." Rei squeezed her hand, "It's alright now. I love you, Kira. Now, let's go home." He smirked, "Let's try again tonight." Kira smiled, "Yeah." Rei smiled and handed Kira a helmet, "Then let's get outta here."

InvincibleInuYasha: Hey! Sorry again, for taking forever to get this chapter done, and it's not even that long. Anyway, R&R, I'll try to squeeze in an extra chapter this month! (I hope...) lol, R&R!


	6. The First Month

InvincibleInuYasha: Hey, what's up? Time to write, I guess. I'll just get right to it then. R&R! Oh yeah, and guess who's birthday it is on September 3rd! Mine! yay! You readers can just give me lots of reviews! Huzzah!

Disclaimer: MARS isn't mine. ToT

**Chapter Six: The First Month**

As Rei turned the corner on his bike, he grinned. Just last week had been a thrill to him. So much had happened. He and Kira had tried for a baby a few times that week.

_Kira flew into the bedroom that she and Rei shared. He was lying on the bed, quite exposed except for the thin sheet that covered a small part of his midsection. Kira was too excited to take her time waking him up. She jumped on the bed and screamed, "Wake up, Rei!" He jerked in surprise and fell off the bed, clutching to the sheet to try and break his fall. He could barely see so early in the morning but he kept his eyes wide open, trying to focus on Kira, "Wh-what? What's wrong?" Kira hopped off the bed and sat beside him, "Nothing's wrong. It's just tha--" "What the hell? You scared the shit outta me, I thought you were being attacked or something!" Kira smiled and said, "Calm down for a minute, would you? I've got some news for you." Rei rubbed his eyes, "What's up, love?"_

_Kira snuggled up to him and said, "You remember what we've been doing for the past few nights?" Rei smirked, "How could I not, with such a lovely woman who I love?" Kira said, "Well, it looks like it all paid off." Rei's eyes widened as he stared at Kira in wonder, "W-wait... you mean--" Kira laughed, "Yes!" _

_Rei grabbed Kira and pulled her into a passionate kiss, "I love you. And I can't wait to raise this kid with you."_

Later on, they had gone to a clinic to make sure that Kira really was pregnant, and then to her doctor. "You'll be put on a lighter medication to keep the baby healthy, but I'm sure it will be healthy. If there are any complications, let me know immediately." The doctor had ensured the baby's safety, and the doctors at the clinic also said Kira was in good shape to be with child. And now, Rei was on his way to break the news to Harumi and Tatsuya. Kira had kept quiet the whole time. Their dreams were finally coming true!

IIYIIYIIYIIYIIYIIYIIYIIY

Kira picked up the phone and dialed a number. A female voice answered, "Aso residence." Kira said, "Hi mom, it's me." Mrs. Aso replied, "Oh Kira, how are you doing?" Kira smiled, "I'm good. But I have some great news." Mrs. Aso asked, "Oh, well what is it? Did you and Rei finally decide to have a formal wedding?" Kira said, "No, it's not that. I mean, it's not out of the question, but there's better news. Let's just say that you'll have one more thing to love soon." Mrs. Aso said, "Oh, Kira, don't tell me you're pregnant."

Kira frowned, "What? Why not?" Mrs. Aso sighed, "Well, I'm just worried about you. I haven't talked about it much but, before you were born, I had two other miscarriages. I'm afraid the same could happen to you. And now that you're sick, it could probably be worse. I just don't want you to be hurt." Kira said, "Don't worry mom. Rei and I decided that we'll visit the doctor often, especially when it's close to birth. I won't let anything happen to this baby. Rei and I have waited too long for this to come." Mrs Aso said, "Okay Kira. It's wonderful news. I've been wanting a grandchild since you married Rei. Just, be careful. And remember that I'm always here for you." Kira smiled, "Thanks mom."

Kira hung up the phone and rested her hands on her belly. She was facsinated that a tiny life was developing inside of it. What her mother said did scare her, but Kira was willing to protect this baby with her life. She smiled and talked to her flat belly, "It's funny. I haven't even known you for a whole day, but I'm still ready to die for you."

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"Rei, I'm hungry." Kira rubbed her stomach and made a face. Rei rubbed his eyes and lugged himself out of bed, "Is that baby already eating all your food? Ha, what do want, honey?" Kira shrugged, "I dunno. Let's go somewhere on your bike, while we still can. In a few months, I won't be able to anymore." Rei swiped his keys from their nighttable and twirled them around his fingers, "Let's go, wherever you want to go, baby."

They had gone outside to the small storage space under the building that belonged to Rei and put on their helmets. Rei lifted his visor and said, "We've got to start moving into the new apartment, y'kno? I don't want to have to pay rent for both places for more than two months." Kira nodded, "I'll call Hama tomorrow and ask if he could help us out. We don't have a lot to move anyway." Rei grinned and put his arm around Kira, a hand on her stomach, "It's been about seven weeks, right? I still can't believe it." Kira leaned into Rei and rested her head on his chest, "Yeah. There's a little piece of the both of us inside me right now. And soon it'll be right here with us." Rei lifted Kira's chin up with his finger and leaned in to kiss her when their helmets bumped, "Whoops." They both laughed and then got on the bike. Rei revved the bike's engine and zoomed into the streets.

A few minutes later, the couple could be found at a small café, away from the busy center of the city. Rei had not driven so quickly as he wanted to protect the life that was just beginning to develop, as well as his own and Kira's. While waiting for their orders, Kira took out her cell phone and noticed that there was one missed call, "It's from officer Okuda. Should we call back now?" Rei shook his head, "In a minute. Let's just enjoy this. Forget about everyone else." Kira smiled and stared at Rei. To her, he looked gorgeous in his work shirt and baggy pants, his blond hair still down to his shoulders, tousled a bit. She was happy that he was treating her so well. He always had, whatever they'd been through. It wasn't like he was just caring for her because she would soon be the mother of his child, but because he really did love her with all of his heart.

Rei smirked, "You're getting quiet. Like what you see?" Kira laughed, "I always like what I see when I'm with you." Rei said, "The same could be said for me. Kira, you're so beautiful. But in a few months, you'll be all big and fat." Kira pouted as Rei laughed at her mercilessly, "Hey, that's no fair." Rei shook his head, "It'll be beautiful bigness. Any pregnant woman has it. But yours will be the prettiest." Kira rolled her eyes, "You're just saying that so I'll forgive you for laughing at me. I'm not going to, you know? You'll have to earn your forgivness." Rei's eyebrows went up, "Oh? And what is your asking price?" Kira thought for a moment and said, "Your life. You have to be with me forever, no matter what." Rei said, "Hm, that's funny." Kira frowned, "What's funny?" Rei took her hand and said, "How can I give you something that's already yours?"

Kira's phone began to ring. The bright light on the front flashed, 'Okuda'. Rei picked up the phone and answered, snickering, "Hello officer. What seems to be the problem?" Rei listened for a moment, his grin slowly fading from his face. He rubbed his chin and he gulped, "Uh huh. O-okay. Thanks for letting me know. Um, can I call you back?" A moment later he put down the phone and Kira asked, "What's wrong? What did he say?" Rei shook his head, "It's nothing really. Besides, I wouldn't want to worry you. That's bad for the baby." Kira said, "You looked scared. I've only seen that face a few times. Something's really wrong." Rei sighed, "I-I'll tell you later, okay, babe? Let's not ruin the night." As the waiter returned and began serving their food, Rei ran a hand through his hair. He should have known. Whenever something good happens to him, something else happens to try and take it away.

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Kira let herself fall on the bed on her back. She was full and tired. Rei had gone to take a shower. He seemed a little stressed throughout their dinner. She wondered what Officer Okuda could have told him on the phone. This sparked her curiosity and she glanced around the dingy apartment. Rei just got in the shower. He wouldn't be out for another ten or fifteen minutes. Kira snatched up her cell phone ad search through her contacts to Officer Okuda. She pressed the call button and waited for the ring tone.

"Okuda. Who's this?" Kira said quietly, "Hello, Officer. It's me, Kira." "Oh, Kira. Uh, did you happen to talk to Rei about why I called." Kira sighed, "He didn't want to tell me. But he seemed really worried and I want to know what did that to him." She could almost see Okuda rub his eyes stressfully as he said, "Rei's worried because Masao Kirishima was release from the mental hospital today."

Kira's breath hitched in her throat, "N-no. They said he would be in there for long treatment." Okuda said, "All of the psycologists and physicians said he was better. Well, except forone who noticed slightly unusual behavior, but the others thougt it was irrelevant to his mental health." Kira asked, "Why wasn't that enough to keep him there? If someone still thinks something is wrong, shouldn't he be kept there longer?" Okuda said, "I'm sorry, Kira, it's out of my hands. I'm not a psycologist. I don't know if he'll still try to get at Rei, but before anything like that is possible, I want to help you, Kira."

Kira asked, "How?" Okuda said, "I can hide your records. Like, phone numbers and addresses, workplaces. Things like that. But I hope you understand that there are people who'll spy on you for money. I understand that Masao once told you he used this tactic before." Kira said, "Yeah. I appreciate your trying to help us officer. I appreciate it. I just don't want anything to happen to either of us, especially now." Okuda asked, "Especially now?" Kira said, "I don't know if Rei told you, but I'm pregnant." Okuda's voice cheered up, "Kira, that's great! Wow, congratulations. Yeah, I'm sorry to ruin the fun for you guys, breaking this kinda news to you. But I just thought it would be good to warn you, since last time didn't turn out too well." Kira said, "Thanks a lot, Officer. Your help really means a lot to us." Okuda said, "It's no problem, Kira. Just don't get too fussed over this. If anything comes up, give me a call anytime."

Rei came out of the bathroom, one towel wrapped around his waist, and another in his hands rubbing his hair, "Kira, were you on the phone?" Kira looked at him sadly, "Yeah. With Officer Okuda. You didn't have to hide that from me." Rei sighed and let his hand fall away from his head, "Kira, I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to worry." Kira said, "Yeah, but he did try to kill us both at one point. It's not only you that's in danger, it's not only you that has to worry. Even it it was, I would still worry for you. Please Rei, don't hide something like this away from me." Rei wrapped his arms around her and nuged her hair with his nose, "Kira. When Okuda told me that, I didn't know what to do. We're finally getting things the way we want, and now Masao's back in the picture. And... I just got so scared. If he did anything to you, especially now that you're pregnant... I don't know what I'd do. And if anything happened to me, there's nothing for you to fall back on. I don't know what to do anymore. I just want to protect you. I'd die if anything happened to you, and I'm so scared that something will..."

Kira held him close and rested her head on his chest, "Rei, I understand how you feel. But don't shut me out. We're together in this. So whatever happens, I want you to tell me about it, let me see things you see them. I'll worry more if you don't." Rei chuckled and gave her a peck on the lips, "Babe, how do you always know how to get me?" Kira smiled, "Because you can be such a softie sometimes. But I love that." Rei grinned, "Good." His towel slipped and he blushed a little, "Whoops." Kira laughed and said, "But sometimes you can show me way too much!"

InvincibleInuYasha: Okay you guys, sorry for not writing a lot, but summer's been hectic and now at school they're dumping so much homework on me. The chapter was almost over too, but then all this stuff came along... so, yea, the chapter's up now, some R&R would be very much appreciated, and I rock. I think that just about sums it all up. TTYL!


	7. NOTICE

-NOTICE-

This fanfic will no longer be updated.

A new edit of this fanfic will be posted soon.

Thank you for the support.

-IIY


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